Designer swaps out furniture to shake things up

As a founding principal at Splice Design, Atlanta architect Dawn Bennett is obsessed with all things modern. See her latest project: a modern home renovation and interior architecture on Lake Lanier on the upcoming Modern Atlanta Architectural Tour.

Designer & background: Grew up in Hickory, North Carolina, and graduated from Clemson University. She then earned a master's degree in architecture from Washington University in St. Louis before moving to Atlanta in 1995.

Training: Interned at Stang & Newdow (now Stevens & Wilkinson) and TVS in Atlanta, working with commercial architects and designers. Also worked at Harrison Design Associates, where she learned about residential practice and "traditional" architecture before starting Splice Design in 2010 with her partner, Tonja Adair, a fellow TVS alum who heads the firm's New York office.

Career influences: With a father who was an engineer and a creative and talented mother, Bennett said had all the right DNA to become an architect.

Pet peeves: Incorrect shutter applications (be it scale, orientation, hardware).

Current obsession: Routed plywood. At Sublime Doughnuts new shop (in the North Druid Hills area), panels that serve as cabinet fronts display a circular pattern with various sizes and depths. Simple, affordable materials combined with technology can create something unique and give a cool, unexpected look. Could be obsessed with the doughnuts, too!

Most unusual request: At a previous firm, she was part of a project where a client requested a shower that would accommodate 10 people.

Biggest design mistake I have made: In my home, I replaced an outdated brass chandelier over the dining table with a cool Tom Dixon globe pendant. The metallic finish reflects everything in the room like I wanted it to. However, the shade is opaque and directs the light on the middle of the table. That, coupled with the relatively low bulb wattage, means you can barely make out the person across the table from you.

… and mistake homeowners make: Carefully researching and assembling a talented design team and then not trusting them or second-guessing their recommendations.

Every room needs: To be "shaken up" every so often. She often swaps furniture from rooms all over the house to re-purpose rooms. One day a space might be the living room. The next time, it's an office or dining area.

Challenges building a modern home in Atlanta: For a long time, the biggest challenge in Atlanta was Realtors who convinced homeowners that modern would "never sell." That has changed. Now there are real estate agents who "specialize" in modern.

Is Atlanta warming to modern design?: Absolutely. In her opinion, the "modern" movement started with multi-family buildings, like Metropolis, in the early 2000s. Atlanta had never seen exposed concrete or commercial storefront like that in a residential market, and young renters ate it up. Those early "modernists," used to open space, storefront windows and concrete, are looking for that in a house to purchase as they "age out" of the rental market.

Also, Atlanta is becoming a more “international” city with residents who have been exposed to modern architecture in other countries. Events, like the MA! Architecture Tour, help expose residents to local talent and good modern design in Atlanta.

Favorites

- Atlanta-area home/design stores: Switch Modern; Roche Bobois; Context; The Container Store (she is a sucker for organization!); and IKEA.

- Blogs/websites: Pinterest and Houzz.com are good ways to communicate visually with clients and get an understanding of their aesthetic. Also, architizer.com and designboom.com for design inspiration.

- Magazines: El Croquis; Dwell; California Home; Metropolitan Home; and Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles.

About me

My personal style: Clean, simple lines and no tchotchkes. "I'm too lazy to clean around things," she said.

Is my home contemporary?: No. Our house, near Northlake Mall, is very traditional from the exterior. It's a brick Colonial (5-4-and-a-door) with a white painted fence. It gives no hint of the "modernists" who live inside and are transforming the interior.

Favorite possession: The 1973 Jaguar XKE that Bennett inherited from her father. There's a reason that the E-type roadster is one of only three vehicles admitted into the MOMA's permanent design collection: It's a work of art.

Can't stop buying: Cool, unique sneakers.

Up next: Collaborating with Stan Topol & Associates on a 15,000 square-foot, "cottage-style" estate home on the grounds of a North Georgia winery.

Where to find Splice Design and Dawn Bennett:

- Website: www.splice-design.com

- Facebook: Splice Design